


So you must not like hugs, then

by revoleotion



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Brendol Hux sucks and so does his wife, Comfort, Gingerpilot, M/M, Mention of abuse, Poe makes puns, Takes place after ep 8, prompt: afternoon tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22129816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion
Summary: “This does not look like you're going to torture me,” Poe Dameron says and looks at the cup Hux has carefully placed in front of him. As he looks back into the face of the First Order General, he sees something in his eyes that makes him shut up. It's not hate or disgust or anything he would've expected.
Relationships: Poe Dameron & Armitage Hux, Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Comments: 23
Kudos: 176





	So you must not like hugs, then

**Author's Note:**

> So is gingerpilot a thing? I'm not sure if this is shippy, so I tagged it as both friends and a ship!  
> Enjoy  
> \- ben

“This does not look like you're going to torture me,” Poe Dameron says and looks at the cup Hux has carefully placed in front of him. As he looks back into the face of the First Order General, he sees something in his eyes that makes him shut up. It's not hate or disgust or anything he would've expected. 

Hux looks at him like he's scared of him. Which is fun because Hux captured him, made him sit on the table and put down tea in front of him. Until now, Poe thought it has been poisoned but now he isn't so sure anymore. 

“Or not, now I'm curious.” Poe smiles at him. “Are you going to come out to me now?” 

“My mother,” Hux says and ignores Poe's words. Poe wonders if he managed to hit a weak spot yet again. He seems to be good at that. 

“Your mother?” he asks. He's tied to a chair but he can be move his hands. He could throw the tea right into Hux' pale face if he wanted to - but he doesn't want that yet. 

“You said Leia knew something about my mother. Where is she? How do you even know?” 

Poe blinks. 

“Oh,” he says and has to fight a grin, “I only said that to distract you. Is your mother available for certain services? Because in that case I might know h-” 

Hux makes a sudden movement and drops his own mug of tea. The expression in his eyes goes from anxious to furious to cold. Poe forces himself to stay calm but he wants to scream. An angry Hux is not good. After all, he blew up those planets and held a nice speech before doing so. 

“It's okay that you are gay, by the way. I'm not going to tell on you,” Poe says and finally uses up his last distraction. Hux looks like he's either about to faint or flip the table. He sits down in front of Poe without breaking eye contact. 

“I don't believe you,” he says and everything about him is a broken man that is trying to calm down. He's so scared and it's obvious. His hands are trembling and his body is hunched forward like he's been hit a lot as a child. Poe knows not enough about him to tell those things. 

“I'm sorry, Hugs, really. I wish I knew more.” 

“It's Hux.”

“Huh?”

“Hux. With an X.” 

“You must not like hugs then,” Poe jokes. 

“I do not.” 

“I was… Do you really not get jokes?” 

A faint smile appears on Hux' face. It let's his tired eyes light up, and he loses a bit of his tension. 

“I do. But that wasn't a joke.” 

“Thank y-” 

“Jokes are hard and require skill,” Hux interrupts him. 

There's a small silence. Is Poe allowed to laugh? He grins at the General, that's all he allows himself to do. 

“Alright, _Hux_ , I don't know anything. But if you give me a name, I can ask the General. Organa, I mean.”

Hux inhales and looks at a point above Poe's head. 

“Arkanis. I'm from there.” 

“Ouch, that must suck. Rainy, right? New Republic? Didn't they really improve the infrastructure and so on?” 

There is no 'so on', Poe knows nothing of that planet. It's enough for Hux, thankfully. 

“My mother was on there. Not my father's wife, my mother. I was thinking… if you really save everyone, is she with you?” 

There's one thing stronger than fear, Poe knows that. Hope can be dangerous but, in his opinion, never foolish. Hux is hoping for his mother, so badly that he forgets his fear. He's sitting in front of his enemy, his ginger hair all ruined, his hands shaking - and hope in his eyes. Poe doesn't want to take this away from him. There are about 40 resistance members left. They'd know if Hux' mom was one of them. 

“Listen,” he says. “I'm going to ask. Give me my comm and I'll ask her right now. I won't tell her where I am and depending on her answer, you can do everything you want to me. Just let me go home, to my family.” 

His family currently consists of Finn, BB8 and maybe Rey. Hux doesn't need to know. 

The General throws over the comm he took away immediately after capturing Poe. He catches it, smiles and mouths a, “thanks”. Hux does not respond. He looks at him. 

Hopeful.

Poe sends an invitation to call and grins at Hux when Leia's silhouette appears on top of the comm. He sits up like he's not tied to a chair and flashes his biggest smile. 

“General!” 

“Poe?” 

“The one and only. I have a question for you.”

Hux' hands move over to his ears, another reaction that makes Poe wonder what happened in the man's childhood. 

“A question? Poe, where _are_ you?” 

“Out with friends.” The lie leaves his lips effortlessly.

He looks back at Hux and fakes a smile and mouths, “Shut up, I'm already asking her.” 

For a second, Hux looks confused, then he mimics the exact kind of “I'm interrupting a call”-laugh Poe wanted to hear. He has a nice laugh. 

“Do you remember that conversation I had with that Hux guy?” (He pronounces it like _Hux_ not _Hugs_ and for a tiny second he wonders if this gives him away) “Skinny, daddy issues, definitely gay?” 

“I know who you mean,” Leia says and she seems very, very done with him. 

“So, we were thinking about his mom. He really went wild at that joke of mine, so maybe we can use this against him. Do you know more about that?” 

“How high are you, Poe?” 

“1.73.”

Hux makes something that sounds like an honest laugh but it dies on his lips as soon as Leia continues, “I know that Maratelle was Brendol's wife but Hux isn't her son. As far as I know, neither of them left Arkanis after the uprising. I'm sorry, Poe, but it's a nice idea. Drink some water.” 

“Yes, General,” Poe mutters and turns off the comm. 

He is so dead. 

He can't look up. 

He can't see the last hope in his enemy's eyes vanish. 

He can't. 

He looks up. 

Hux is trembling and makes no effort at hiding it. His face is pale, his eyes are wet and he looks at the table like there's some hidden message engraved that Poe can't see. 

And because Poe expects him to kill him, he says, “Do you need a hug?” 

At first, there is no reaction. Then, Hux frowns, looks at him and slowly shakes his head. He walks towards Poe, deactivates the metal that tied him to the chair and leans against the table. Poe suspects that he'd break down if it weren't for his pride. 

Maybe pride will kill him one day. 

“Go,” Hux says. How voice is so weak that Poe almost can't hear him. 

“What?” he asks. 

“I promised to let you go. Now, leave. Your ship is in the third hangar-” 

Hux doesn't get to finish his sentence because Poe wraps his arms around him. The General is noticeably taller than him and he's still shaking with shock. He does not hug him back but doesn't push him away either. He just stands there and lets it happen. 

He stands there when Poe lets go of him. 

He doesn't move when Poe walks out of the room. 

Poe's eyes burn with tears for some reason as he reaches his ship and enters it. There is no bad side, he thinks, not really. There's tea and hugs and an invisible Force that drains their hope like a vampire. 


End file.
